Determining properties of materials, such as composites, commonly includes measuring tensile and/or compressive strength thereof. To minimize undesirable stresses, traditional test methods often require adhesive bonding of test coupons to metal load blocks before applying loads via the metal load blocks. Because conventional bonding processes require the pieces being bonded to be dry, such bonding must be done with dry test coupons.
However, it is sometimes desirable to measure the strength of test coupons under environmental conditions such as high moisture or elevated temperatures. Because bonding of metal load blocks requires the test coupons to be dry, test coupons previously exposed to moisture cannot be tested. If the metal load blocks are adhered to a test coupon before the test coupon is exposed to environmental conditions, the metal load blocks will cover and block the test coupon from exposure to the environmental conditions. Additionally, when testing is performed at elevated temperatures and/or in high moisture environments, the adhesive bonds may weaken and prematurely fail, negatively affecting measurement accuracy. Accordingly, traditional testing techniques and mechanisms do not allow testing of composites under varied environmental conditions. In addition, bonding operations increase time and cost of the testing procedures.